The Squirrel and The Hummingbird

Once upon a time, a squirrel was trying to establish a home in a tree in the middle of the urban sprawl of Los Angeles. It was a simple tree in the simple garden courtyard of a simple apartment complex; but the task was not simple.

As the squirrel tried to move in his belongings, he discovered a whirring of activity around his head. And this whirring would not stop. He couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Here! There! It seemed to come from everywhere!

He looked down to the earth and there lay a gray tabbycat, who was watching with earnest amusement. The squirrel quickly realized that this cat was watching the whirring of activity that buzzed around his head!

He yelled, “Who are you!? Get away!” And darted around and around to try a get a look at the blur that bothered him. “I’m trying to move in! Stop bothering me!”

As he darted around the tree, he tried to make out the thing that was whirring by him, darting here and there. It stopped directly in front of him and hovered in the air.

Neighbours in the boxy trees began to stair out of their glassed holes.

Down below the cat trotted away, content to know that the hummingbird would be around for a while, but still wanting to get out of the irate squirrel’s path.

The squirrel ran up and down the tree snapping at the tiny bird, “This is my new home! I’m moving in. You can’t stop me!” while the bird continued to dart around the squirrel’s head, here and there, until it noticed a particularly juicy-looking purple flower across the garden.

After refueling, it darted away.

The squirrel was left in utter frustration and confusion. Frozen upsidedown halfway up the truck of what it thought was it’s new tree, he waited. He wasn’t sure whether he was waiting for the hummingbird, or the cat, or a nice nut to fall… but he waited.